Do bananas cause weight gain? No chance. Here\’s why?

Ok, I know you\’ve seen the pop up ads that say, \’bananas make you gain weight.\’  Guess what, not true.  Bananas are a fantastic snack, moderate in calories (about 100 cal each), a good source of fiber, potassium, and moderate in naturally occurring sugars. 

I just had a new patient lose 7 and 1/2 lbs in the first two weeks of his weight loss program eating 2 bananas per day! 

Compared to a snickers which has 215 cal, a small bag of chips 150 cal, a banana (100 cal), has about 50-100% less calories respectively and is a much healthier option!

Other benefits of bananas?  Great to fuel your workouts (about 30-45 minutes pre workout), great between meal satisfying snack, or a satisfying post dinner light sweet treat (when you see the little brown dots, the bananas are sweeter)!

Other ways to eat bananas?  Try peeling, cutting into bite size pieces and freezing, and then add a little water and blend thick for a sweet non dairy desert!  For a change, swap your banana for jelly in a PBJ, or add to your salad (I know it sounds weird, but just tried it and was awesome!).  

If you are looking for a sweeter desert, try this chocolate dipped coconut frozen banana from eatingwell.com.  It\’s only 100 calories per serving.

Yours in great health!

Kevin Grodnitzky, MS, RDN, CDE, LDN Registered Dietitian Nutritionist